The advent of mobile computing combined with more powerful networking capabilities has changed the ways in which individuals communicate. Formerly, specialized networks had to be configured with particular equipment to provide different types of communication. Video conferencing, for instance, relied upon specialized telephone networks, radio frequencies, or closed-circuit television systems to provide two-way or multi-way video communications between users at different (and often fixed) locations. As broadband or other high-capacity networking technologies have allowed greater and more flexible access to a variety of different systems or devices, via the Internet for instance, different types of communication have developed or evolved to take advantage of these more powerful networking capabilities. For example, instant messaging technologies may provide real-time transmission of text messages over the Internet, allowing participants to chat between two Internet-enabled devices.
Video conferencing has also evolved to facilitate video communication between network-connected devices. Video communication data may be transmitted over networks, such as the Internet, to other participants, providing a video conference-like user experience, without being subject to the limitations of older and more static communication technologies. However, as many devices, such as laptops, mobile phones, tablet computers, or other mobile computing devices now facilitate multiple programs or functions operating simultaneously, video communications may be subject to disruption, inattention, or competition for computing resources of the device performing video communication, dulling the reach or effectiveness of new video communication technologies.